Nada Latto is Senior VP, Chief Human Resources Officer, at BMI.
As a global leader in music rights management, BMI serves as an advocate for the value of music, representing over 22.4 million musical works created and owned by more than 1.4 million songwriters, composers and music publishers.
Below, as part of Music Business Jobs’ Career Advice section, McAllister offers three top tips for people looking to land amazing roles in the music industry…
Tip 1: Do your research and prepare
Learn what you can about the company and the opportunity before the first interview. Take the initial interview seriously, and don’t treat any interview as perfunctory.
Don’t assume the only interviews that matter are with the hiring manager or senior managers. The interview team usually shares their feedback about the candidates with one another.
Take the initial interview seriously, and don’t treat any interview as perfunctory.
Each interview during the interview process is an opportunity to make a great impression, and each interviewer expects that if you are genuinely interested in the opportunity, you will have invested time to prepare. Be ready to express how your skills and experience relate to the position, and how you can bring value and make an impact.
Ask thoughtful questions during the interview process to demonstrate your interest and engagement, but avoid asking about compensation and benefits early in the interview process. This may leave the interview team with the impression that you are only interested in the opportunity based on these factors rather than the substance of the role, the opportunity, and contributing to the team.
Tip 2: Show genuine interest in the opportunity
I always encourage job seekers to be open to opportunities, even if the position they are interviewing for is not their ultimate career aspiration. That said, hiring managers want to hire someone genuinely interested in the opportunity, not someone who is looking to get a foot in the door and move to another area of the company as soon as possible.
While the interview team looks for candidates with a track record of success, and ones with potential, the hiring process and onboarding new team members requires a significant investment of time and resources.
The hiring team looks for a candidate who will be in the role long enough to make positive contributions to the team and the company.
3: Follow up
After each interview, be sure to follow up with those you met during the interview process to thank them for their time and the opportunity. Reiterate your interest in the position and how you can contribute to the team and the success of the company.
Be sure to personalize your communication to each person on the interview team. Keep in mind that the interview team may share your thank you note with one another, and if everyone receives the same message, it may be perceived that you are not interested enough in the opportunity to craft a personalized message for each of the interviewers and that you are just checking a box. This is an important part of the interview process and one that can set you apart from other candidates.
Even if you are not offered the job, keep in mind you never know when the next opportunity will present itself and when your paths may cross again.
